


The Trip to Xion: And The Escape

by Marie_TheVillain (orphan_account)



Category: Pentatonix, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Superfruit
Genre: Aliens, Angst, Cyborgs, Discrimination, Fluff, Gen, Kinda star wars ish, Love Again AU, Mentions of Prostitution, Mitch believes in ghosts, Multi, YouTuber cameos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-04-29 20:51:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5142059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Marie_TheVillain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mitch is a blue teenager who wants to join the resistance. </p><p>K.O. is a cyborg who wants equal rights. </p><p>And Avi? Avi just wants to land his ship in one piece.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Humans and Aliens and Cyborgs! Oh My!

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching the music video for Love Again for the millionth time, and I suddenly thought, 'Hey. Wouldn't it be cool if there was a universe where they always looked like this? They remind me of Star Wars!' So I came up with a plot and wrote a ton of words in one night.  
> And here we are.  
> Just to warn y'all, this will be very long, and likely very slow coming. I have a heavy semester right now, but I love this story too much to let it fade into my imagination graveyard.
> 
> Oh, and they look like they do in the video except Mitch is 17, so he's baby Mitch from the Sing-off days.

Galaxy: Morka

System: Imperio

Route: Currently Unknown

In a galaxy where humans are not alone, there are people who do not fit into the mold. This is a story about some of those people.

“Mitch!” Avi Kaplan, the captain of a small smuggler’s ship, was looking for his younger partner. The black haired boy had a tendency to disappear at inopportune moments. Especially after doing something he knew Avi wouldn’t appreciate.

“Mitch! Where are we going?” Avi stumbled into the cockpit and glared at the boy.

Mitch Grassi turned his eyes, which were surrounded by an interesting blue, to look at the older man. It wasn’t make up. Mitch had the unfortunate ancestry that was becoming more and more common nowadays; alien.

This didn’t mean he had different physiology, although some people did. Some people looked totally normal, but inside, their bones would be denser or more fragile; they might have strangely colored hair that could be dyed to look normal. The problem with being alien, was not the being itself, instead it was the lack of rights, privilege, and respect that came with it.

In an effort to keep the human race pure and unaffected by the different alien species from other galaxies, the government made a law against intermarrying with extraterrestrials. When people had alien blood in them, they were less likely to get jobs. Companies and shop owners could say that because of the unknown biology, they couldn’t possibly hire an alien. Their bones might break under pressure! Oh, the pressure of selling food!

The basic societal rule was, if someone was extraterrestrial, they couldn’t be on the same level as Respectables.

Granted, everyone was an extraterrestrial now. The majority of humanity left the Milky Way centuries ago. There had been the overwhelming theory that the sun was soon going to overtake the safe area that allowed people to live in heat and not burn to death.

So, most of humanity left. Those who could afford it at least. Every government, excepting Switzerland, had made it top priority to get their people to safety. Every country made ships in mass production. Technology was accelerating at a rate unseen since the Library of Alexandria burned.

Before the panic, airships were expensive, and intergalactic travel was for the richest of the rich. Not anymore, of course. Now it was just for the rich. Or pirates.

Of course, now that humans had the ability to leave planets, they never wanted to stop. So some people spread out. Left their species to live among others. In the interest of self-preservation however, most humans stayed together.

The majority found a planet of their own, Xion in the Imperio system, and restarted their governments. A few groups went to the next planet over, Tero. Tero was more of the outlaw’s home.

In the end there were three main ranks of humans. The Respectables who lived on Xion, the Outlaws of Tero, and the Impure.

The Impure were those who had left their species to be among other galaxies and other races; alien races, humanoid and otherwise. Their children were seen as crossbreeds, and had to choose their citizenship. Most chose to be seen as human by the government.

Sadly, no one can choose what others see them as.

Now, generations later, Impurities would sometimes try to rejoin the Respectables’ society. However, that was nearly impossible if you looked physically different. Dense bones were concealable. Colored skin was harder to hide. Of course, there were surgeries, skin grafts, and makeup. The first two were expensive though, and the latter was time consuming.

Not every alien hid their heritage. There was a resistance. Some groups of people that wanted to be recognized as normal citizens. They refused to hide their skin and hair. They didn’t wear contacts to hide the exceptional colors of their eyes. They also were subject to cruelty that was reminiscent of the America’s early 1960’s.

Mitch was one of them. He had a harder time than most as well. Mitch Grassi was the product of a human grandfather and alien grandmother. Their child was in love with an alien as well. A Calinskee. The same species as the grandmother.

The only difference between the Calinskee and humans, was the beautiful shade of blue that completely covered their bodies. The children of humans and Calinskees were Impurities. They had blue bodies and normal faces. Except for their eyes. The area around their eyes was the same shade as the rest of them.

Mitch also had a small blue stripe on the center of his lower lip. He was proud of it. It was something only he had. Mitch Grassi truly was an individual.

He was also searching for a decent answer to Avi’s question.

“Well?” The captain crossed his arms and looked at Mitch expectantly.

The boy opened his mouth in a smile and leaned back in his chair, his hood fall back against the seat, and letting go of the controls he turned around to face his boss. “Avriel, my dear friend.”

Avi raised an eyebrow.

“The Patrol is constantly searching our regular ports, I was hoping we could make a change and go to Tero instead?”

Avi’s face fell and he ran a hand through his decorated hair. The metal beads tinkled and he took a breath. “Look, I know you’re antsy, but we’re not going to get as good of a price at Tero. The fencers in Xion are more professional.”

Mitch snorted. “Okay,” he conceded, “less likely to shoot us maybe, but there’s only so much professionalism a fence can have. Even if the cargo is good.” He turned to tap on the autopilot and got out of his seat. “The only time Patrol go over to Tero is when something interplanetary goes down. We can’t get caught there.”

Avi followed him down the corridor. “Get caught alive, no. Dead? Definitely. Lots of people get caught dead. And there might not be police, but there are plenty of bounty hunters.”

Mitch huffed and pulled his gloves off, stuffing them into one of his many pockets. He liked having places to stash things.

A few more steps led him down a corner and to a locked door. His blue fingers rose up to knock on the door when it opened.

A man with metal seared into his flesh leaned against the door.

“K.O.! I was just about to get you. How do you feel about going to Tero?” Mitch clapped and smiled up at the cyborg, wide-eyed and expectant.

K.O.’s brown eye flicked over to Avi before closing the door.

Mitch made an indignant noise. “What’s up with him?” He turned to his boss, earring swinging.

Avi didn’t know why his co-pilot wore it. Someday it was going to get pulled right out of the kid’s ear.

He also didn’t know why Mitch couldn’t leave well enough alone. Xion was a better planet to deal with. Their fence had richer clientele, and while there was the Patrol to worry about, all they could do was lock you up. Granted the entire operation was more secretive. There was a lot more security to worm through, and the stakes were high. The repercussions were longer lasting if they got caught.

If they stayed on course and went to Tero though, the consequences of dealing with the wrong people would be quicker, and much more permanent.

Avi didn’t think he was being paranoid, but he also knew that Mitch was right. The Patrol had been keeping a closer eye on their ports at Xion. Maybe if the stop there was quicker. Just a fast drop-off, no downtime. There would be less chance of getting caught, and K.O. would feel more at ease.

K.O. didn’t like drop-offs. He didn’t like being on any planet in the Imperio system for too long. He enjoyed the smaller planets, more near the outskirts of the little galaxy, Morka. They were a bit more respectful of aliens and cyborgs. Not completely, but they would at least serve you drinks.

Avi had met his friend in a bar on Xion. It was one of the seedier areas, and when K.O. finally looked at him straight on, the captain understood why the man hadn’t been able to get a decent drink from the bartender all evening.

Cyborgs weren’t as common as aliens. They were also seen as worse than aliens. If someone were to become a cyborg, their citizenship was immediately revoked. They had to take papers identifying themselves as cyborgs everywhere they went. It didn’t matter why they chose to have the implantations done, or if they even had a choice in the first place.

The sad truth was, most cyborgs didn’t have a choice. Most implants were done in back alley deals. There were CyGangs that required implants as an initiation. Sometimes an implant would help to fix a mental illness, or even a physical one. In those cases, there was always a doctor willing to take a bribe.

It didn’t matter why someone had the implant, all society and the government cared about was the fact that it was there.

Humans had become quite empirical in their speciesism. An Impurity might not be able to help their genetics, but a cyborg had a choice as to whether or not they “stayed human”.

As a result of the harsh regulations and laws against implants, combined with the near impossibility of getting and surviving the procedure, cyborgs were incredibly rare.

Avi had an attachable chip on the side of his head. It wasn’t an implant per say, so he had gotten away without papers. His citizenship was intact. He always made sure to take off the chip whenever he was in public. Especially in Xion.

K.O. had extensive implants in his head. So much so that you could see some of the wires connecting to his veins. He had a noticeable metal brace on the right side of his head, and his right eye was replaced with a false red one. The implant was so complex, that the wiring actually wrapped around the lower back of his head, and ended underneath his left ear. There was no hiding it. K.O. was a cyborg.

Avi had ordered two drinks, handed one to the silent man, and sat by him for the rest of the evening. When they both finished, he said, “What do you need?”

The man, who had kept his silence throughout the entirety of his drink, turned to peer at Avi. His red eye seemed to shift every few seconds, but Avi didn’t let it bother him. He knew the man was testing his character.

Finally, the stranger said, “I need acceptance.”

Avi held out a hand, “My name is Avi Kaplan. I have a ship that I’m trying to get ready to leave this galaxy with. I have a blue boy as my co-pilot. We don’t have enough money or resources to get out of this stinking society. Do you want to come with us?”

K.O. shook his hand, and they left the bar to return to Avi’s dilapidated ship. Mitch grinned his regular smile, and didn’t let K.O.’s initial demeanor put him off.

After a few days of finishing up business, selling off the last of their cargo and such, the trio left Xion for their first trip together.

After their first heist of interplanetary shipments, K.O. told Avi his name was Kevin Olusola before the implantation. Now that his citizenship had been revoked, he just went by K.O..

So that’s what Avi and Mitch called him. Well. That’s what Avi called him. Mitch tended to lean toward calling him LED Lights or Braces or Daddy. K.O. was oddly alright with everything but the latter. He knew Mitch didn’t mean anything by it. They had an understanding.

The first time Mitch saw K.O., he didn’t bat an eye. Instead he asked, “Did you manage to get Wi-Fi with the implant or am I gonna have to keep bothering Avi about getting an actual router?”

Technology may have expanded vastly in the 70th century, but somehow Wi-Fi still managed to glitch. No matter what. Someone could get an interplanetary router and still have problems.

K.O. raised an eyebrow at Mitch’s complexion and asked if his balance got thrown off by the chandelier on his ear? Because really, who had that much metal hanging off one ear?

They got along fine after that. Normally. Sometimes Mitch was too exuberant or sassy for K.O.’s taste, and sometimes K.O. was too sober for Mitch’s. Whenever that happened they just gave each other their space.

Avi was a good mediator between the two. He was calm and normally able to put up with Mitch’s shenanigans. However, Mitch had made a major change to their route, and while it was easily fixable, the fact that the kid had done it without any permission or consideration toward the other two on the ship was worrying.

Everyone was fairly equal on Avi’s ship. That was just it though. It was Avi’s ship. He was captain and therefore the one with the last say on any heading they took. Still, there had to be some reason for Mitch’s insubordination.

Avi had to ask before changing their course back to their original destination. “Mitch, why do you want to go to Tero all of the sudden?”

The alien hummed in surprise before tugging his gloves out of their pocket and turning back down the corridor. “What do you mean?” He continued walking to the small galley that was above the cargo hold, swinging his long, sleek, gloves back and forth.

Avi kept following him. He wasn’t going to let the Calinskee get away. The ship was only so big. “You’ve never mentioned Tero before. Not once. You know why it’s not a good idea, so I want to know why the interest. What’s in Tero?”

Mitch paused in his mindless perusal of the galley and opened up the dried goods store. Pulling out a tin of gluten-free cookies, he munched on one thoughtfully. “Patrols are getting more frequent. I don’t want us getting caught. That’s all.”

The captain’s eyes narrowed and he snatched the tin of cookies away from Mitch. “These aren’t easy to find so don’t gorge on them. And don’t try to lie, we both know Patrollers aren’t that numerous.”

Mitch sighed through his nose, still crunching on his treat. He folded his arms and tilted his chin up. After a moment, he swallowed and said, “Alright. I want to get out of this place faster. I want to leave with the Underground.”

The kid’s brown eyes widened, and his silver insets around his eyes glinted in the light as he hastened to add, “I know it was wrong to change course without your permission. But there’s supposed to be an Underground meeting in Tero! I don’t know where exactly, but I’m sure we could figure it out when we get there!”

Avi raised a hand to point at the Calinskee in annoyance, but Mitch kept rambling to keep his captain from shutting down his dream before he could say his piece to completion. “And I know it’s a long shot, but it’s been years since they’ve had a meeting this big, and they might be planning on smuggling people out! It won’t matter if we can’t get the cargo off for a decent price. We could just take what we have and see if the Underground will get us out of this awful system! I’m sure they won’t make us pay as much as we would need to do it by ourselves!” Mitch finished his speech and twisted his gloves back around his wrist, waiting to hear Avi’s reaction.

Inward, Avi was cringing and moaning about the situation. He knew about Mitch’s idolization of the Underground. Ever since he picked up the blue imp from a small outskirts planet, a week hadn’t passed by when he didn’t gain some new, unwanted piece of information about it.

Sure, the Underground was probably a great way to get out of the Morka galaxy, but it just wasn’t reliable. First of all, he’d never met anyone who’d actually been a part of this so-called organization. Secondly, even if the Underground was real, it would be nearly impossible to get into. Lastly, if there was such a meeting in Tero, wouldn’t the Patrollers be all over the planet?

Leaving the Morka galaxy was heavily frowned upon. Anyone who didn’t go through every one of the checks and security procedures, anyone who didn’t pay off the right people, they wouldn’t get to leave. Ever. If there really was an Underground that specialized in mass smuggling, the government would have wiped it out decades ago. Avi just didn’t believe it existed. It was a wonderful thing for aliens and other minorities to believe in, but it was just an idea. A hope, a dream, a gateway to Utopia that would never be found.

Unfortunately, Mitch didn’t believe that.

Avi groaned and wiped a hand over his face, pausing to rub away the impending tension headache. “Mitchie.” He looked under his hand at the kid’s big eyes. He was pulling out the really big eyes for this one. They weren’t pleading with Avi, just pouring all of the hopes and wishes that a young boy could have into his gaze. It hurt to look at.

Avi groaned again, bracing himself before obliterating his partner’s dreams. “Mitch. There’s no proof these people exist. I don’t know where you heard about this meeting, but it probably doesn’t exist either. And even if it did, don’t you think the Patrol would count it as an interplanetary disturbance and start searching for it?”

The Calinskee wound his gloves tighter around his wrist as his chin lowered. He poised his mouth into an “O”, trying to come up with an argument that would win his mentor over to his side. “Well. Maybe. But isn’t it worth checking out?” His voice was quieting to a plea.

Avi lowered his hand and placed it on his hip, taking a deep breath and shaking his head. It had to happen someday. Mitch had to learn responsibility. Sometimes, responsibility meant letting go of a dream, and dealing with reality.

He understood wanting to leave Morka. It had been his goal a lot longer than it had been Mitch’s. Avi had been saving to leave for almost his entire life. He started saving small coins when he was 6. He didn’t know what for, but twenty years later he did. Twenty years of saving every coin and valuable. All to get out of Morka. He hated this galaxy. Hated the government’s ironic inhumanity. Hated the people and how they treated one another. No matter how much he hated it though, he needed to stay here until he could get out. There just wasn’t any other option. Sometimes it’s the situation in which you can only wait out that is the worst to deal with.

It was incredibly hard to get out of Morka. That was the reality. They were also close to it, though. Only a few more years of savings and preparation. While three people were harder to get out than one, Avi wouldn’t get rid of his passengers for anything. Because after 6 years with Mitch, and 2 with K.O., they were no longer just passengers. They were his family.

Mitch was family. This was why Avi had to shake his head. It was why he had to tell the kid “no”.

Mitch squeezed his glove so tight that his hand turned pale. Then he nodded quickly. “I’ll go right the course then.” His tone was meek and ashamed as he rushed back to his cockpit.

In all honesty, Avi wasn’t that much older than Mitch. Not biologically anyway. But there were times, especially ones like this, that made Avi feel tired and old.

He walked through the galley, turned a sharp corner, and unlocked the door to his own room. He knew Mitch would change the course back to Xion.

That knowledge didn’t make him feel any better though.

He needed a nap.

 

Mitch sat in his chair.

His giant, comfy chair that he’d fought tooth and nail to get Avi’s permission for.

His mentor had been certain it wouldn’t fit into the cockpit. Mitch had won the battle though, and while he may have had to get rid of the reclining base and attach a swiveling one instead, he made it fit.

It fit and he loved it.

It was big enough for him to bring his feet up into and sleep in. He could sit and watch the stars go by at speeds he could only imagine. He could curl up and dream about leaving this galaxy for one where Calinskees were normal and humans were weird.

He could also sit and feel sad in this chair. It had just enough plush to feel like you were being hugged. If sat in the correct way at least.

Mitch would never admit to talking to his chair. But it’s not like it could disagree with him about anything.

So after he changed the course back to Xion, he grabbed a blanket out of the overhead compartment and snuggled into his chair.

He wondered why Avriel was so against the Underground. If there wasn’t any proof, well, that could just mean that they’d never been caught. Right?

The boy mumbled things into his seat for a few moments before closing his eyes and burying his face into the cushion.

He pulled the blanket up over his head, and let all of the tension leave his body as he drifted off to sleep.

 

Kevin Olusola was sitting on his bed, screwdriver in hand.

He almost short-circuited earlier. This was why he closed his door. Not because of Mitch. There’d been a small solar wave as they grew closer to Morka’s sun. It made him glitch out, and for a moment he panicked.

Whenever they passed by Tero, they drew closer to the sun than was comfortable for K.O.. Tero was a very hot planet because of its proximity to the sun. Xion had a much cooler climate.

That was only one reason for K.O.’s preference of Xion, though. Tero was far more unpredictable. There were less rules, and the diversity of people was far more varied.

This diversity meant that while there might be Impure sympathizers or even Cysupporters, there would definitely be those who despised K.O. and Mitch. K.O. stayed as far away from the dangerous planet as he could. He didn’t know why Mitch didn’t want to do the same.

As he finished running the diagnostics on his implant, he felt the ship’s direction move. The man placed the small screwdriver back into his portable toolkit, and opened his door.

The mechanized whish of the sliding door was quiet, and when he leaned out of his room, K.O. didn’t see either of the pilots.

The light in the corridors were motion activated, unless turned off manually. They turned on when K.O. walked down to the left cockpit.

He knew that if Avi and Mitch had an argument, the ship would be silent for a good long while.

Avi would be spending a few hours in his room; probably ruminating over his decision to take in a teenager.

Mitch would be sulking in his cockpit, trying to think up ways to make Avi happy again.

K.O.? Well, he’d be in the middle. Awkwardly trying to restore balance to their enclosed ship that drifted in the middle of space.

That was the huge down-side to being off-planet. On a ship there was nowhere to run. You’d have to eventually face the other people onboard, no matter how long you stayed cooped up in a room.

The cyborg sighed when he reached Mitch’s doorway. The alien had his own room, but he was never in it. Instead he had a nest in his cockpit. Despite there being no actual door, there was a dark red curtain, and K.O. figured there was a nice bit of privacy to be found in the kid’s giant orange chair.

Avi put up such a fight against it. Mitch had seen it in one of the markets on Xion and had to have it. He claimed that because he spent so much time flying the ship, he should have something comfy to sit in while doing it.

Avi, on the other hand, said its size was not going to work. The thing reclined, and would never be stable. That and it was neon orange. Seeing as Mitch was an Impurity, the store wouldn’t sell to him.

So, in the end Mitch managed to haggle Avi into buying it for him.

K.O. would never forget seeing a disgruntled Avi walking up the platform to the cargo hold, and behind him a beaming 15 year old, dragging a blinding orange chair.

That was their first trip together. He’d been so nervous; he hadn’t even left the ship for the drop-off. After that though, he became a bit more comfortable. He still wore his thick, dark hood whenever leaving the safety of the ship, but he did go out to a bar or diner in the less populated areas of Xion and the other small planets.

Kevin Olusola was a people-person. He wasn’t extroverted in the traditional sense, but he liked being around people. He enjoyed seeing them interact with each other, and hearing the chatter of happy children was something he found to be precious and fleeting.

K.O. wasn’t allowed to have these experiences. Children were raised to fear cyborgs and aliens. Bright and happy people didn’t visit the areas he found safest. The areas where Patrollers were less likely to go.

With his new life, he had to become more careful with his interactions. Besides, bars might be less nice, but there were still people there. They were just different types of people. There were drunks, crooks, and thugs. There were humans and aliens hiding from Patrols.

Occasionally, there was someone there that didn’t belong. Whenever someone didn’t belong in a bar, it was easy to find them. Especially for someone like K.O., who had become quite good at picking out who was what.

Sometimes the person had wandered in, thinking a drink would somehow solve their immediate problems. K.O. would always sit next to those people. Eventually, they’d grow too uncomfortable next to a cyborg and run back to their lives, leaving the drink in front of them untouched.

The other type of person that didn’t belong was the one who had no choice of being there. They were most commonly the bartenders, waitresses, and entertainers. It was either a job for them, or something they were forced into.

Xion’s shining reputation hid a large amount of sex-trafficking and prostitution. Certain Patrollers would turn a blind eye to the new “entertainers” that a bar would pick up. These entertainers were often young, female, aliens. Their coloring or eyes might be repulsive to the government, but there were always people who thought foreign and exotic were more enjoyable.

It disturbed K.O. immensely, but there was nothing he could do. No one would ever listen to a “metal man”.

K.O. brought his thought back to the present, and rapped lightly on the doorframe. “Mitch?” There was no answer. Kevin stepped in and craned his neck over the seat. “Hey, Blue? You awake?”

The Calinskee alien didn’t move.

Part of K.O. believed he was asleep, after all no one could wake him up if he was tired. Mitch was 17, and he knew how to fall asleep fast. But another part of the man thought Mitch just needed some quiet time. “I’ll get you and Avi whenever we make it to orbit. Alright?” K.O. lifted a hand and turned on the tinted glass, making the small cockpit a bit darker.

He turned around to leave, and just before closing the curtain, a small voice said, “Thanks, Gadget.”

Kevin smiled. “Anytime, Blue.”


	2. Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured because of the way poor Mitch and Avi fell asleep all sad last chapter, I'd let them have an easier time. This chapter's pretty short and fluffy.

Avi woke up the next morning feeling very not refreshed. After so many years of flying on ships, you’d think he would be used to sleeping on them, but he wasn’t.

The human slowly sat up in his cot. Slowly turned to plant his feet on the ground. Slowly fell back onto his cot.

There was a tinny knock on his door. “Avi! C’mon, you got to get up.”

Why?

Avi groaned as loud as he could before throwing a pillow at the motion sensor. His door slid open and K.O. stood in the hallway, arms crossed and wearing a smirk.

The dignified captain let his head slump to the side so he could see his friend more clearly and he grunted a greeting.

The taller man smiled and stepped into the room, grabbing Avi’s limp wrists and pulling him upright. “We’re in orbit, Captain. You should probably get ready to go through security checks.”

Avi forced himself to alertness and asked, “When will they be calling in?”

K.O. tilted his head and figured, “About half an hour. We only just got in range of their radio frequencies.”

Alright. Half an hour was enough time to make sure everything was safely hidden away in the cargo hold. “Is the kid up?” Avi rubbed his face, trying to make himself feel awake.

“Yeah. I got him up a while ago. He’s making sure everything’s hidden and in order.” K.O.’s eyes watched Avi. “”You should talk to him before we land. I don’t know what’s going on.” He held up a hand to stop Avi from saying anything, “And I don’t want to. I just know that you two need to work some things out.” He turned to leave, “You care about each other. Don’t think that not talking is going to make things be fine, though.” With those words, K.O. walked back toward the galley.

Avi sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He ran a hand through his hair and then walked across the corridor to the little bathroom they all shared. He made sure everything was zipped down after brushing his teeth and washing the grit out of his eyes. Then he left the safety of the bathroom to face the rest of the day.

Getting into Xion wasn’t that difficult. Most of the time it was leaving that was harder.

* * *

 

 

Mitch sighed as he finished tying down the last of the crates. He truly hoped Avi wasn’t disappointed in him. He had known that changing the route was wrong, he just tried to push that nagging feeling out of his head when he did it! Sadly, it was back in full force.

The boy tugged on the nets to make sure everything was in place. Their cargo was held in metal boxes, about a foot wide and three inches deep. The boxes were held in place with carbon steel nets. Inside were crystals from border planets. The planets were often too cold for safe living, and it was nearly impossible to set up any kind of shelter there, but the crystals that formed in the icy caves were rare and highly sought after. Which meant they were incredibly expensive, especially if bought from the regular companies.

Avi had come up with an idea to get raw crystals and sell them to the truly eccentric collectors and shop owners. By the time he picked up Mitch, he already ran a stable smuggling operation. He’d pick up the crystals from an illegal miner directly from the planets, take them back to Xion, ensure they got through security unnoticed, and sell to the middle man.

Avi’s fence was a jeweler (big shock) who catered only to the very rich, and very dirty. Men and women loved crystals. They put them in necklaces, piercings, some even had smaller stones embedded permanently into their skin. Crystals were incredibly “in”. Especially when they were colored. This particular shipment was green.

Personally, Mitch didn’t understand the whole “embedding” thing. Granted he didn’t have tattoos either. It was all too risky. What if you hated it? Or got hurt because the little rocks got ripped out somehow? Whenever he mentioned it to K.O. though, he’d just get reminded that he had a three inch earring in one ear. But at least he could take that out!

Mitch opened the hatch door and looked up into the galley. Their cargo hold was actually a hidden room underneath their kitchen. Funny how some things worked out.

Their real cargo hold, the one that was inspected whenever entering or leaving planets, was also their front door. The entire floor of the ship’s hold would lower, and all the Patrolmen would see was silverware and clothing from the moons around Xion.

No one ever stopped them from entering or leaving. Yet, at least.

The only annoying thing about these security check was the fact that both Mitch and K.O. had to sit, cramped in the secret hold until the Patrollers were off the ship. If the government knew Avi was employing both an alien and a cyborg, they’d arrest them all. No questions asked.

The skinny alien climbed out and onto the floor of the galley. He glanced down the corridor as the lights turned on. “Gizmo?”

There was no answer.

“Avi?”

Silence again.

His eyes widened and his eyebrows drew together. “Avriel?”

The ship’s plastic floor suddenly felt very cold. The blue light that bounced off the walls was lonely and harsh.

Mitch scrambled to his feet and wrapped his arms around his torso. He’d left his heavy coat in his cockpit, and his bare arms were getting goosebumps. He tilted his head to one side and the slight tinkling of his earring surprised him into gasping.

Eyes wide and mouth open, he turned and almost fell in his run to his warm chair. He made it to his curtain and a hand grabbed at his shoulder.

The frightened teen clutched the red fabric as he turned to face his ghost.

“Mitch? What’s wrong?”

Mitch’s panic came out in a whoosh and he practically fell over in his relief. “Avi! It’s just you. Just you.” He leaned his head back into the curtain and caught his breath. “Thank goodness. Oh, I’m so happy.” He started to laugh breathily.

The man before him stared for a moment before speaking. “Mitch, are you okay?” His tone was uncertain as he took in the sight.

“I’m fine. I thought you were a ghost.” The Calinskee smiled and kept giggling as he straightened up onto his legs.

Avi raised an eyebrow at his partner’s antics before shaking his head and asking, “The hold is in order? Everything’s tied down?” He knew Mitch would have everything finished, he just needed something to say.

Mitch tried to smother his smile into something smaller. “Yeah, it’s all done, Daddy.”

He smirked when Avi rolled his eyes. “Come on, Mitchie. I just got off with Patrol’s communication center. We’re going to land in about an hour. Just have to get through the atmosphere.”

The alien grinned and opened his curtain to flop into his seat. He swiveled around to place his hands ready at the controls. He tilted his head back and stared up at his captain. “Let’s go then!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive the incredible shortness of this chapter. I should have some time to write more this weekend. Promise!


	3. Work Before Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! New chapter! And thank you to those who've already given this kudos! It makes me smile this dopey little grin.

Kevin smiled at his friends before sneaking up behind Avi. He yanked on the man’s hair and ducked the fist flying toward his face. “Hehehe!” He held up his hands in defeat and defense. “Promise I’ll be good! I just want to know, how long do I have before squeezing into the closet?”

The closet was what K.O. had dubbed the secret hold. Of course, this led to many jokes about Mitch and his inability to be quiet whenever they had to hide in there. Mitch hated the cramped space. With just one person it was okay, but two? And with a full shipment? It made both of them claustrophobic.

Avi huffed and leaned against Mitch’s doorframe. “I give you about half an hour. Then both of you,” he raised an eyebrow at Mitch’s pout, “need to get into the hold.”

“But I hate being in the closet!” Mitch whined, “Can’t we just make a dash for it when we know there’ll actually be an on-board inspection?” He smiled and raised his eyebrows up in a look of innocence.

Avi crossed his arms and set his face blank. “Not a chance. Enjoy your fifteen minutes of freedom.” Then he walked back down to the other side of the ship, where his own cockpit was waiting for its commander.

“Gadget?” K.O. glanced back to the teenager.

“What do you need, Blue?”

Mitch sucked in his cheeks before asking, “Do you think we’ll ever get caught? What would they do to us?”

Kevin hummed and tried not to think of what would happen to them. He’d get ripped apart. Avi would never see the outside of a prison again. They’d either arrest Mitch with a life sentence, or some sleazy Patrol Executive would enlist him in their “entertainment” industry. It wasn’t that unlikely; Mitch was young and exotic. “I don’t think we need to worry about that. Avi’s good at this. It’s why he’s so careful. We’ll be fine.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed for a millisecond, and then he nodded, sitting back down in his chair. “That’s what I figured.” His fingers found the controls once more and he began his responsibilities of co-pilot. He ignored the lie that his friend told him. Instead, choosing to believe that everything would always be fine.

* * *

 

Avi coordinated the ship past the meager asteroid field, and could soon see the cool desert of Xion in the distance. He flicked on the intercom and spoke, “Mitch, K.O., get hiding. We’re landing in a few minutes.” Not a minute after he turned it off, the Patrol contacted and began their standard questioning.

Did he have registration for his ship? Read it to them.

What’s his reasoning for returning? Business.

Where’d he go before returning? Tourist planets.

The list went on and on until they granted him official access to Xion. Finally, he was past the check-mark areas and able to fly over the planet with no interference. He knew exactly where the landing pad was, in a busy city named Leelon. It was near the drop-off point for the cargo, mostly because that just made it simpler to transport their stuff to the fence.

The landing pad was relatively remote, Patrols didn’t frequent it, which meant that there were a few other ships like Avi’s. They all had their own little businesses, and none of them wanted to get caught, so nobody bothered one another. Everyone minded their own business. It was a pretty good unspoken rule. There were no problems.

Avi maneuvered the ship into the lot and did his own safety checks before turning off the engines. He lowered the ramp, stood up, and ran out to scope out for Patrols. He knew Mitch thought he was a bit overkill on the whole precautionary measures, but there was no way he’d let any of them get caught. He would never forgive himself if they did.

Climbing down the ladder to the ramp, he didn’t see anyone in the lot. It was midday though, so that wasn’t entirely unusual. Most ships arrived early morning or late at night. Smugglers tended to be cliché that way.

After a few minutes of pacing the perimeter of the ship, Avi took one last glance before walking back up to the ladder. Once in the ship, he opened the cargo hold to see K.O. and a stir crazy Mitch. “You’re free once more, Blue. Use it wisely.”

Mitch was out of the small space before he even finished his sentences. “Yes! Mama is happy!” He flung his arms in the air and ran to his cockpit to grab his coat.

K.O. laughed and crawled out of the closet. “He was quiet the whole trip, but wouldn’t stop vibrating.” He accepted the offered hand and allowed Avi to pull him up. “I think he’s looking forward to land.”

Mitch returned, clad in his long, leather trench. It covered his arms completely, and his hood concealed enough of his neck that you’d have to look close to even notice his complexion. Sturdy black pants and tall boots. Most of what he wore was black, no one noticed black. He wore his long gloves. They went up to his elbows, ensuring that even if his sleeves fell down, none of his blue skin would show. Topped off with a teal visor, no one would guess he wasn’t human.

He bounced in place, his earring and bulky necklace jingling. “Come on, let’s go. I want to see if there are any new stores.” When travelling, Mitch loved to wear colorful clothes, loose shirts, and plenty of jewelry. It was compensation for the times he wasn’t able to express himself.

He also loved to buy these colorful clothes. He had a cut in every shipment of crystals, so while he put a majority of it into the savings to leave Imperio, he also kept some behind to buy himself some treats whenever they landed somewhere.

Avi let him do this, and even bought the clothes and trinkets for him if the vendor thought the hooded boy was too fishy. The man felt both responsible and to blame for the kid’s life. It was a good life compared to many aliens in Imperio, but it was still restricted.

For the most part, Mitch did a good job of not caring. He let comments and rules roll off his back like water off a duck’s. He embraced most people, and loved seeing the varying cultures of different planets. He did actually enjoy going to Xion. He would just enjoy it more if he could visit as a proud alien citizen. But that would never happen, hence why they were leaving.

K.O. grinned at the kid’s enthusiasm and Avi shrugged. “Alright, are you coming, K.O.?”

He shook his head, “I was thinking I’d just stay back this time. If the Patrol is being more present than normal, I don’t really want to risk getting seen.” Truthfully, he wanted to wait and see if he glitched again in the next few hours. He figured if he was fine he could go out, but until he was certain that he wouldn’t lose the function of his brain and right eye? It would be best to wait.

Mitch pouted for a moment before yanking Avi’s arm and trying to drag the man out in the world. “Alright then. We’ll see you when we get back!”

“Mitch, you do realize we’re taking care of business first, right?” Avi grabbed the back of the kid’s hood to stop him from zipping out of the ship. He understood part of Mitch’s cabin-fever, but again, he needed to learn responsibility. Work first, then he can go shopping.

The alien groaned before dashing back into the hold to pass up one of the boxes to K.O.. The cyborg smiled down at his young friend, “Don’t worry, Blue. You’ll get to your new clothes soon.”

Mitch granted him a sideways smirk before climbing back up. “We’ve got the sample now. Can we do “business”” He put air quote in as he spoke, “and get it over with?”

Avi’s mouth curved into a smile as he placed the box of crystals into a carry bag. “Yep. We’ll pay our fence a visit, make sure everything is in order, set up a drop-off, and then go sightseeing.”

* * *

 

Their walk to the dealer wasn’t very long. Xion had a pretty temperate climate, so Mitch’s long, dark clothes didn’t overheat. It was busy though. People were everywhere, even in the less savoury districts. Mitch was often scrambling to keep up with Avi’s long strides. No one seemed to bump into the older man. He always seemed to hold an air of authority.

Mitch mused on this as they walked. Everyone they’d ever worked with held some respect for Avriel. Even if they’d never met or worked with him before. Everyone knew he was dependable, a rarity in this business. It was one of Mitch’s favorite qualities about him. He knew he could always trust Avi to know what was best. His mentor had never let him down.

When they came to the mechanic’s shop, Mitch was initially confused. There fence was a jeweler. A pretentious, snobby, upper-class jeweler that hated the fact that he needed smugglers to get him crystals; he was far too greedy to rat on them though. And somehow, Avi managed to get the man’s respect over the years. But there was no way their jeweler would lower himself to meeting them in a garage.

Mitch looked up at Avi in confusion. The man turned his head and murmured, “It’s a front. There’s a nicer place underneath the building. I asked if we could meet near a garage. We can buy some upgrades for the ship while we’re here too.”

Nodding in understanding, Mitch followed Avi inside.

* * *

 

Despite what Avi had said about there being a nicer place below, there was no sign of anything clean in the building. It all stank of grease, and the air buzzed with the sounds of lasers and drills. The lighting was bright compared to the cloudy outside. Avi scanned the shop, looking for his fence. They never exchanged names. It was simpler that way. Both parties felt safer. Still, they’d known each other for years now. Something about crimes in the interest of well-being brings people together. Still. There was no indication the jeweler was there. He was almost going to turn and tell Mitch it was time to go, when a voice rang out, “Captain!”

He glanced past one of the ship turbines to see a bland, middle aged man, with dull green eyes. The man wore coveralls that had no stains on them. His hands were clean as well. He waved Avi and Mitch over to him.

“Captain, I was told you’d be coming soon.” He paused, “You are the captain, correct?”

Avi nodded, “I am. You are acquainted with-”

The man cut him off, “Yes, yes, I know Alexandre. He is an old associate of mine. Was my fence for a while.” He turned around and seemed to expect them to follow him. He walked through a doorway, passed a break room and ended at an elevator. “Now,” The short man didn’t bother looking at them as he pressed a button to open the doors. “Obviously, this is a one-time meeting. I don’t want my place to become a cesspool for criminals. You will never return here. I’ll sell you upgrades, hold your meeting, and make sure the Patrol doesn’t find out. But you’ll never come back here. Never make contact.” He walked into the elevator and turned to face them, hands folded in front of him. “I don’t ever want to see you again. Understand?”

Mitch had been biting his cheeks for the entirety of the little man’s tirade. He was so rude! How dare he treat them this way! Looking over at Avi, he kept his mouth clamped shut. It was up to his captain. Too bad. Mitch would have railed at the man for a good few minutes before leaving to find somewhere else to sell. He knew Avi would smooth any ruffled feathers though. He’d probably have the weasel begging for them to do business with him.

The Calinskee crossed his arms and waited.

“Of course. We planned on this only happening once after all.” Avi’s voice was smooth and had a foundation of cold, hard, stone. He gestured to the elevator. “May we come in now?”

The man nodded jerkily, not really looking at them, instead he was staring past them, down the hallway through which they came. Avi accepted the nod and moved to stand next to the man. Mitch stood on the other side of his captain.

Avi didn’t trust the garage owner. He didn’t want Mitch to be any closer to the human than need be.That man was jumpy; he wouldn’t be surprised if any movements perceived as  wrong were met with a shaky knife in the gut. People like that were hard to deal with. Good thing this was a one time transaction.

The man eyed them sideways while leaning forward to press the button for the lowest level. He straightened back against the corner he stood in and remained silent for the trip down. When the doors opened, Avi and Mitch were surprised to see a large warehouse-like room filled with shelves and containers. Most of the containers held parts for ships, iron coils, and electric wiring. All normal for a garage to have in stock. The quantity of these items was what shocked the two smugglers. There was enough in the room for four shops.

Neither of them commented on it though, and the man said, “Wait by the table, your fence will be here soon.”

Avi stepped out of the elevator first, but Mitch was hardly a step behind him. The boy looked back to see the man had already closed the elevator doors and gone back to wherever he came from. “Captain, isn’t this a little…” The boy took a breath, “A little strange? Nothing feels right.”

Avi reached behind to touch Mitch’s sleeve, keeping his eyes in a search around the room. There didn’t seem to be anyone there. The table the man had told them about was a few yards ahead of them, just outside the rows of shelves. It wasn’t very big. Probably just a few feet in perimeter. There were two chairs on either side of it.

From Avi’s vantage point, he could see that there also weren’t any other doors. If anyone was going to enter or leave the room, it would have to be through the elevator. This was starting to feel more and more like they’d walked into a cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as much Kevin in this one. Oh well. The plot is slowly starting to move along though. I need to start setting aside time to write specifically for this, that way I'll actually be able to update at a decent rate. I know the first three chapters came quickly enough, but they are fairly short and I had most of them written up beforehand. 
> 
> I know what I doing with the story, I just have to write it.


	4. The Secretary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit to this taking way too long for me to sit down and write.

 

Avi shifted the bag on his shoulder. It held the crystal samples. There was only a small box in there, but it was still worth plenty of money. Did they really want to stay here? When he really thought about it, if this was a trap of some sort, there was no way out. The only exit was the elevator, and if they left that way, there would be guards prepared and waiting. The only choice was to go forward. To the table.

It seemed to be a metaphor for Avi’s life. If he turned around, then he would be in trouble, even if he got in too deep and going further meant he was drowning in a pool of unknown consequences.

He thought of the boy behind him. His hand was still stopping Mitch from moving. He wasn’t touching him heavily, Avi could only just feel the leather under his fingertips, but Mitch trusted him enough that any signal to stay down was enough to make the alien still and quiet as stone. Avi still wasn’t sure what he’d done to gain that trust. He prayed to never lose it. “I’ll go first. I want you standing behind me until we leave.”

“Yes, sir.” Mitch’s voice was breathy. Avi slowly brought his hand back in front of him, walking to the nearest chair.

Mitch had been holding his breath ever since they’d left the elevator. The minutes of silence while Avi was examining the room had made him scared. He didn’t know why. His skin felt cold and there was an alert, tingling, sensation in the small of his back. It made him think of a surprised cat. Like when they got their hair all poofed up.

He blinked away the image of cats and made himself inhale. Was it normal that breathing hurt? That it felt foreign and dangerous?

When Avi’s hand left his arm, there was a patch of receding comfort left behind. Even though his trench was thick leather, he knew it was there. His captain began to leave him. No. He’s not leaving him. He’s just going to the table.

If he can just stay a foot or two near Avi, everything would be fine. He knew what he was doing after all. The last 6 years had been the safest of Mitch’s life. Avi always made sure everything was safe. This was no exception.

Even so, when his captain set the bag down on the table, Mitch had scurried behind him, keeping his sight trained on the elevator doors. “Captain, can I ask how long you think we’ll be here?” They never used names when working, hence the formalities.

Avi smoothed his hands over the canvas bag. His head was tilted down, like he was staring at the thick fabric. In reality, he was looking all around him, searching for security or cameras of any type. “I don’t think it’ll be too long before we’re done here. Breathe.” He murmured the last part, knowing that the kid was freaking out.

This was the first meeting to go wrong. He’d brought along to drop-offs and exchanges for the last two years. He wanted Mitch to learn how they worked. That, and he wasn’t entirely comfortable with leaving him in the ship with K.O. before they’d gotten to know the man well enough. This was the first to go downhill.

Normally there was a rhythm to it. Arrive, go to the safe place, check the crystals, and arrange the transfer of credits and when and where the exchange would be. Then they leave safely. This followed none of those steps. Except the first one. They’d gotten there.

Woop-de-freaking-doo-da.

Avi was freaking out on the inside too.

* * *

 

Kevin cleaned up the empty tins from the galley. He was hungry. He’d wait for a while before finding something fresh and untinned to eat. They were buying plenty of new supplies while they were here, so that would be a good treat. Until they inevitably ran out of fresh food and again had to live on frozen, vacuum sealed, and canned foods.

He closed his left eye, seeing the world through his red optical. It said the time was 8:24. Avi and Mitch should be back soon. These meetings only lasted about an hour at most. That was if there was a price haggle. The cyborg expected to see his friends in half an hour, tops.

Then again, Mitch did want to go shopping before they came back. Better make that three hours.

 

* * *

 

Avi sat down. The chairs had no cushioning. Instead they were completely metal. If you shifted any part of yourself, they would make noise. A way of ensuring security? Or just a fluke?

The elevator doors opened and a tall woman strode into the room. There was no hesitation in her walk. She was full of purpose. She wore a brown suit. It was fancy, like she’d just left a banquet. Her makeup was subtle and perfect. Her blonde hair was tied high upon her head. The sound of her heels on the cement floor echoed through the room.

Avi felt Mitch stiffen behind him. He didn’t need to look to know that the boy was biting his cheeks. This lady reeked of government.

She walked around the two, pulling out the chair that was on the other side of the table and sitting down with ease. Legs crossed and hands resting on the cool metal surface, she tilted her head. “Captain. I’m the secretary of Alexander, the man you know as your fence. Unfortunately,” her red mouth hovered over the word, “Alexandre has been...detained. Patrol have caught on to his side deals, and thus have decided to keep him in custody until everyone he’s dealt with and through have been thoroughly investigated and punished.” She paused, watching Avi’s face closely.

He was normally able to keep himself in check. His poker face was great. The amount of credits he’d gotten from K.O. was testament to that. The only sign of shock on Avi’s face was his widened eyes. The man kept his mouth shut until the woman stopped talking. Then he asked, “Why are you here?”

Her eyes softened. “My boss wanted me to give you and your associate his apologies. And while he is not able to see you in person, he granted me authorization to give you your payment and arrange the exchange, as was originally planned.” She reached into her suit jacket and pulled out a small tablet. Turning it to face them, she turned it on and they saw the transaction of 12,000 credits, ready to go. “I have everything prepared. I just have to examine the sample and figure out when we want to do pick up.” The tablet was lowered back to the table.

Avi considered everything the woman had said. He knew his fence, Alexandre, had a secretary. He also knew that she handled only the technological things, never the meetings. The fencer always did business face-to-face. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that he would send his right hand to do his work, even while he was in custody. The man had always been shrewd and greedy. He wouldn’t let a little things like jail stop him from making money, or tarnish his reputation with his clients. “He always delivers on his deals, doesn’t he?” It wasn’t a question.

The woman relaxed. “Yes. Yes, he does.”

Avi slid the canvas bag up, letting the box rest on the table. He turned it around, unclasped the latches, and opened it for the secretary to see.

She leaned forward, hands hesitating before saying, “I’m going to pick them up.”She was nervous and had no idea how to deal with the smugglers. Anyone would be able to see that. Avi nodded, and she took a breath, picking up one of the crystals delicately.

A small flashlight and magnifier was retrieved from her pockets, and she brought them up to her eye, inspecting the crystal in hand. It was beautiful. No imperfections. Whoever cut these was  a professional. “And when do you want to exchange?”

Avi raised an eyebrow. She really wasn’t prepared to do this meeting. “We’re just the smugglers. You are the one who has to take the cargo and fence it. So, it’s up to you when we do the exchange.”

The secretary blinked, “Alright then. Give me an hour. I’ll meet you at the ship lot on the outskirts?”

The smuggler nodded. “If that is what works for you. We’ll be there.”

She nodded awkwardly before placing the crystal back in the box. “I assume I take this as collateral?”

Avi stifled a smile and nodded again. “It’s best if you take leverage in every business deal. I imagine you’ll have a few more meetings before the day is out?”

The woman’s shoulders lost their stiffness, and she sighed. “Yes. And after they’re over, I’m suggesting to Alexandre that he find a new dealer to do his work. I’m just a secretary. Not quite cut out for this part of the business.”

Avi agreed. “You might want to do that soon.”

* * *

 

Mitch flat-out enjoyed the entire exchange between Avriel and the secretary. She was so nervous! To think he’d been panicking, thinking they might die, only for this inexperienced person to walk in and set everything straight. Almost. “Did the shop owner tell you anything before you came down here?” He was just curious.

She looked up at him, like she hadn’t bothered to notice him before. “Appff, well, he said something. It wasn’t about you guys though.” She fidgeted in the chair and it creaked in protest. “Why?”

Avi hadn’t looked back at him yet. “I was just wondering. He was a little weird about this happening in his…” Mitch glanced around at the cluttered shelves and ship parts. “Basement. I wondered if he’d mentioned anything to you about it.”

“Oh, no, not at all.” She slid the box back into the canvas bag, and then stood up to leave. “Well, I’ll see you both in one hour then.”

Before she got into the elevator, Mitch asked one last thing, “Mind if I get your name?”

She smiled and replied, “Esther. My name’s Esther.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that I somehow changed the name of the planet they were on from Xilo to Xion. Even in the name! Who forgets things like that? This person. So, I went back and edited everything. My apologies if anyone got confused!
> 
> And disclaimer, I don't know the explicit personalities of all these people, but there will be character growth. If they seem like their not acting the way the real live people would? Number one: right now they're characters and they will be different. Number 2: There's a ton of the story to go through still, so they will become more and more like the wonderful people that we all adore.


	5. Tattoo Artists and Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a little bit short, only about 2k, but it's pretty important. And someone important is introduced!

When Esther left through the elevator, Avi twisted around to look up at Mitch from his seat. “What was that questioning about?”

The alien looked at his captain innocently. “What do you mean?” Mitch’s voice and eyes were innocent of any shame or guilt.

The human stood up and pushed the chair under the table; he was considerate in the small ways. Avi turned around and fixed Mitch with a scolding stare. “You had her tell you her name for one thing. She was obviously a novice, she didn’t have any threat to us, so why ask her what the garage owner said? You’ve been nervous the entire time we’ve been here, Mitchie.” It wasn’t so much irritating as it was off-putting. Avi didn’t enjoy not knowing what was going on, especially with Mitch. Which happened often.

Mitch shrugged and started walking to the elevator quickly. He wasn’t sure how to explain himself. He liked the woman. It wasn’t that he still distrusted her, although he definitely did in the beginning. He just wanted to know what was up with that gross little man who owned the shop. There was so something creepy about that guy. “I just wanted to know if the man upstairs had said anything. I don’t like him. And so what if we know her name? Maybe I just wanted a name for once. I’m not going to do anything with it. We’re never seeing her again anyway. Not after today, I mean.” He wasn’t going to lie about wanting her name. She was nice and Mitch had wanted a friend that wasn’t a constant part of his life for a while now. Avi and K.O. were more family than friends.

The former mentioned just shook his head and followed Mitch quickly to the elevator, getting in before the doors closed. “You know that’s not how this is supposed to go though. We don’t share names for a reason.” The elevator door shut and they stood against the back wall. Going up was just a musty and gloomy as the ride down. “Besides, it wasn’t polite.” Mitch raised his eyes to the heavens in exasperation. “I understand the want to make connections, but right now? During business? It’s just not the right time.” Avi pleaded with his eyes for the boy to listen. “Wait until we get safely away. Then we won’t have to worry about anything.”

Mitch stared forward at the doors, not daring to glance at Avi. His eyes were stinging with the effort. His throat felt tight at the base, it’s not like he was going to cry or anything, he just really hated when Avi was upset. It made him feel like nothing would be right ever again. Not until he made it up to him. Avi had given him so much, taught him how to pilot, smuggle, and keep good relations with people. He showed him the importance of connections, interpersonal connections too. Apparently this excluded interpersonal relationships in Imperio. He kept his mouth shut and nodded his assent before the doors creaked open, releasing them back into the hallway of the shop. “Are we really buying upgrades for the ship from this place?” He thought he kept the tightness out of his voice very well.

Avi still noted the tension. “No. I don’t think we’ll be giving this man our business.” His hushed tone carried only to Mitch’s ears. Careful not to let anyone hear them, he continued, “We’re going to go out to those shops you wanted to visit, then back to meet with the woman at our lot.”

* * *

 

They walked down the hallway, into the messy noise of machinery and workers milling about. Everyone had arrived for work. The clock read 9:00. Mitch snorted. Smugglers didn’t have regular hours. “Look at them.” He whispered to Avi. “They remind me of ants. Think they work nine to five?”

Avi opened his mouth to answer, but a boy in clean coveralls and a high tone interrupted them. “Your business is finished here?” The boy seemed to be trying to make his voice deeper. His nametag read Justin. “If you’re done and not gonna buy anything, you should probably get about your day.”

Avi stood up straight and nodded. “We’re done. Don’t worry, we won’t be bothering you anymore.” He couldn’t wait to get out of this place. They were the worst kind of people to deal with. The boy sputtered something about not wanting them to leave without checking out some upgrades, but the captain was already steering his partner to the door.

Mitch finally took a breath of relief when they were outside. The cool breeze of Xion always felt good. He shoved his gloved hands into his pockets and looked up the street, further into town. “Maybe we should go into just one or two shops. Then after the exchange we come back out and hit up the rest of them.” He nodded at his plan and looked at Avriel. “What do you think?”

Avi was not listening. At all. “Um. Captain? Hello? Avriel.” The man snapped out of his stare and said, “I think that guy wants our attention.” He nodded to a tattoo parlour across the street and a few shops up. There was a tall human leaning on the doorframe of the store, jerking his head violently and mouthing, “Come on. Come here.”

“Okay. This is weird for me. For me, Avriel. It’s weird. You and I rate things differently.” His eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the tall human and his captain. “And if this is weird for me, you should be wanting to run far away. Like, now.”

Avi tiled his head, chewing on his lip. “Let’s go.”

Mitch smiled in relief, “Yes, let’s- no what are you doing?” He trotted to catch up with his friend. His friend who was strolling to the tattoo parlour like he’d done it every day.

The human had tattoos on his head. Mitch wasn’t comfortable with this. The human had a good 5 inches on him, and he had to look up to see the man’s angular tattoos. They ran along the side of his head, some on his cheek, and even his hands were inked. There was black dye on his fingers, and a small triangle on each hand. The man didn’t stop jerking his decorated head until Avi and Mitch were a few feet in front of him, then he whispered, “I need you to get inside and act like you planned on it.” Then he abruptly walked inside.

Mitch tried to protest Avi’s following. It didn’t work.

The inside of the tattoo parlour was nothing like the dusty street outside. It was clean, almost obsessively so, and there were bright lights everywhere. The counter was spotless and glass. There were dozens of different tattoo designs. Some with colors, bright and flashy, while others were solid black or silver. The ones that caught Mitch’s eye were grey and riddled with stones. The same stones and green crystals that Avriel, K.O., and he had fenced a few months ago.

“You like those? Aren’t they perfect? If they were silver on black I’d get them in a heartbeat.” Mitch hadn’t even noticed the tall man’s approach until he was nearly looming over the young alien. At the sight of the boy’s visor and surprised expression, the white haired man stepped back. “Sorry about that, I was way into your space. But they’re nice, right? He stuck out a dusty black hand, “My name’s Scott.”

Mitch smiled and shook the ma- Scott’s hand with his own, still gloved of course. “Nice to meet you, Scott. And yeah, they’re... Beautiful. I see why you’d like them. They’d go well with your look.” Maybe he wasn’t so scary. He had a nice, steady voice. It was calming.

Scott laughed, “Yeah, it’s probably good we don’t have any silver crystals. I’m running out of decent places to ink. But it would look cool. Oh.” His eyes turned serious. They were a nice blue. “That mechanic’s garage you were in? I wouldn’t do any business there.”

Avi stepped forward. “What do you mean?” Mitch had almost forgotten about him. He’d been standing in the corner, looking around the pristine building. The counter of designs and jewelry, including a variety of piercings, ran along the walls of the entire building. There were four stations to for the tattoo artists to work at. Each had a sketch table, and several lamps that could be pointed in any direction. There wasn’t anyone else there though. The lights were on, the store seemed open, so where were the employees? The owner? It looked to just be Scott.

“I mean the owner probably swindled you. Whatever you paid him to use his place, it was too much.” Scott looked sympathetic as he explained how George would huff and puff and ensure absolute security for meetings. Of course he ensured security, if Patrols came into the shop he’d get caught with black market upgrades. He was a selfish man. Everyone on the street knew not to let him anywhere near their own businesses. “If you guys paid anything over 100 credits for an hour long meeting-”

“But we didn’t.” Avi startled at Mitch’s interruption. “We didn’t pay him for anything, did we?” His captain shook his head slowly. “No. He was being paid by our fence. Apparently they were old associates.”

Scott shook his head. “If he didn’t take money from both of you, he must have done something else. I don’t know what, but I’d check on your cargo.”

Avi’s eyebrows drew together. “Should we-”

“Yeah, you should probably go now. Right now. Like, really fast.” The artist was nodding and the smugglers were rushed back outside the parlour. “And please don’t mention my name to anyone.” He looked at Mitch, “And I like your outfit, but I do hope you’ll be able to go around without your visor soon.”

Mitch was pulled away before he could reply.

* * *

 

“Avi!” Mitch rushed to keep up with his captain. The man was nearly running back to the ship lot. There was still a good half hour before Esther was supposed to meet with them, but that wasn’t what worried him. Mitch wondered if it was possible they’d been ripped off. But K.O. would be there to watch the ship? He’d be able to keep everything safe. Right?

“Just come quickly.” Avi’s breath was sparse, not from the pace he was keeping, but from fear. That cargo was important. They were so close to reaching the amount they’d need to pay for passports, ship modifications, a new radio, someone to tell them the best ways out of Imperio. They were so close. They just needed that cargo.

They turned a corner and rushed down the lane to the ship lot. It was empty but for the sight that filled their entire vision.

When someone sees something shocking, they don’t just see it. They hear it. They hear the sounds of fire burning. Metal screaming as it bent. Mitch could smell rubber everywhere. Rubber and gas. He couldn’t stop smelling it. How could he not stop? Their ship was in flames. Their future was in flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry... I'm really sorry.... But hey! Scott's made his first appearance!
> 
> I've got the groundwork pretty much laid out for the rest of the story now. If anyone has any ideas as to what's in store, I'd love to hear theories!


	6. Shock and Fear of the Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I put a little of the last chapter in the first part of this chapter, just a paragraph or two, because they are one scene. It makes more sense to read them that way.

 

“Avi!” Mitch rushed to keep up with his captain. The man was nearly running back to the ship lot. There was still a good half hour before Esther was supposed to meet with them, but that wasn’t what worried him. Mitch wondered if it was possible they’d been ripped off. But K.O. would be there to watch the ship? He’d be able to keep everything safe. Right?

“Just come quickly.” Avi’s breath was sparse, not from the pace he was keeping, but from fear. That cargo was important. They were so close to reaching the amount they’d need to pay for passports, ship modifications, a new radio, someone to tell them the best ways out of Imperio. They were so close. They just needed that cargo.

They turned a corner and rushed down the lane to the ship lot. It was empty but for the sight that filled their entire vision.

When someone sees something shocking, they don’t just see it. They hear it. They hear the sounds of fire burning. Metal screaming as it bent. Mitch could smell rubber everywhere. Rubber and gas. He couldn’t stop smelling it. How could he not stop? Their ship was in flames. Their future was in flames.

 

* * *

 

Home is where you are safe. It’s where you know you’re secure. That ship had been Avi’s home for 10 years. Ever since he bought it at age 16. It had been Mitch’s home for 6. It had taken a while for Mitch to actually settle in, but once he did, he made it his own. It wasn’t just the chair that he’d gotten. It was the way the galley had been stocked with gluten-free cookies and how there were too many varieties of shampoo in the shower. It was how Avi made sure to make room for Mitch’s clothes, even when it meant there needed to be a new dresser bought and installed. Home was where Mitch was totally welcomed. Home was burning.

Mitch couldn’t breathe. The acrid scent of smoke and ash filled his senses. His eyes were burning with smoke and tears. There was a stinging sensation high in his throat. His mouth was filled with something. He didn’t know what it was, but it hurt. His hands hurt too. The alien’s ribs felt like they were broken. He couldn’t focus on anything.

Strong hands gripped Mitch’s shoulders, bringing his face away from the blaze before him. He was crushed into an embrace too hard and painful to be anything but steadying. “Mitch. Mitchie.” Avi whispered harshly into the boy’s ear. “You need to stop. Settle down.” Avi swallowed painfully past the rock in his throat. “Stop screaming, Mitchie. It’ll be okay. You’re okay. You’re okay.” Mitch wasn’t okay. He’d never be okay. Everything was gone. There was no home. No future. He buried his screams in Avriel’s coat.

Avi lifted the small boy, carrying him with unsteady legs to the alley through which they came. There was no chance of getting close to the fire. It was way too hot, and if the fire had been raging for as long as it seemed, the flames would be reaching the fuel tank soon. And they should not be around for when that happens. He looked down at the child in his arms. Mitch was shaking and couldn’t seem to breathe properly. He held him closer and tried to get further into the alley. He almost didn’t want to leave the lot. It felt disrespectful to leave his ship before it was done burning. Like he should be there for the entirety of it’s leaving. He couldn’t stay though, he had to get Mitch to safety.

The alley was dark in comparison to the bright flames. The temperature change was dramatic as well. Avi’s skin chilled quickly and his breath caught. His vision darkened for a quick moment, and he stumbled against the stone wall. He couldn’t hurt Mitch. He couldn’t drop Mitch.

“Give him here.” A voice broke into his pain. “I can carry him, don’t worry.” Dusty hands moved to take the alien away from Avi. The captain held on tighter when the boy trembled. “No.” He gritted his teeth. “Can’t.” He closed his eyes and turned his cheek to press against Mitch’s hood. Breath was leaving him in gasps now. “Won’t leave him.” A million thoughts were running through Avi’s mind. ‘Mitch was hurt. How would they get past this? Was Mitch even awake?’

Scott bent down and began to lift the small boy from the man’s grip. “I won’t take him from you. He won’t be alone, I promise, but you have to let go.” He held Avi’s hands away from Mitch’s legs and the captain almost collapsed when the weight was taken from him. Scott shifted his grip to carry the alien comfortably. One hand around his knees, another supporting his back. It was like holding a baby that had cried itself to sleep. He felt the kid gasping. He glanced down to make sure his suspicions were correct and they were. Beneath the dark hood and all the jewelry was the tell-tale blue skin of a Calinskee. He nodded. “Right. Captain, I need you to follow me. Can you do that?”

Avi looked up at the tattoo artist. Did he trust him? No, but he needed his help. He couldn’t stand on his own feet, let alone take care of Mitch. He was pretty sure Scott knew about Mitch too. He looked around him at the dark alley. There was a golden light glowing at the end, telling him the fire was going to go on for a long time. “Where’re we going?” His voice was scratchy. “There was another man in there.” He closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten Kevin. “Did.” He paused for breath. “Did you see another? Taller than me, would’ve worn a hood?”

Scott shook his head. “I’m sorry. I got here only a few minutes after you did. I didn’t see anyone.” He bit his cheek and looked back down at the alien. “I need to get you guys to safety. Preferably before Patrol come around. They’ve already taken their sweet time because of the neighbourhood. They won’t take much longer to get here.” He glanced back toward the entrance, “I have a safe place for both of you until everything dies down. We have to get there soon though. Otherwise you’ll both get caught.”

Avi nodded wearily. “Alright. Alright, let’s go.” He was done taking control for now. There was nothing he could do right now. The best he could in this situation was to let someone, Scott, take control. He stood up and followed the white-haired man out of the alley.

 

* * *

 

Once they made it to the tattoo parlour, Scott walked to the far back wall lined with couches. The parlour was surprisingly nice for its location. He laid the now sleeping kid down, carefully. Looking back to the door he said, “There’s a button beneath the counter by the septum rings. Press it, it’ll lock down the shop and turn off the main lights. We need this place closed down.”

Walking around the counter, Avi felt along the bottom of the glass case for the button. It was tiny, just under the gem studded rings. Sure enough, the door’s lock clicked and all the windows tinted. The bright lights that had almost blinded him and Mitch when they first entered, were now dulled down significantly.

Avi tried to regulate his breathing. It was still ragged. Not only from the smoke, but also from shock and fear. He had no idea where K.O. was. Was he dead? Had he gotten away to safety? Did the arsonist kill him or leave him to die, burning and in pain? Questions raced through Avi’s mind as he stumbled across the room to the couch beside Mitch. Mitch. He looked at Scott cautiously.

Looking up from where he’s sat next to Mitch, Scott simply nodded. “I know he’s Calinskee. I know you’re trying to get him out of here.” Scott tried to keep his voice low and calming. “Is it okay if I take off his hood and visor, or will he not like it?”

Avi slumped into the couch. Right now he was too tired to think about what might happen. “Go ahead.” He waved a hand, looking into Scott’s eyes. “Just. Be careful with him.”

Nodding, Scott gently slid the kid’s visor off, revealing the blue skin surrounding his eyes and the decorative gems, not inlaid as expected, but instead just stick-ons. Scott raised his eyebrows at the earring and lowered the hood from around the alien’s face. “Can I ask what his name is? How you ended up together?” He got up and walked to a small back room with a sink as he asked. He grabbed a washcloth and ran it under cold water.

When he came back, he saw why there was no answer. The captain had fallen fast asleep, one hand on the kid’s head.

Scott took a deep breath. This was going to be a long process. He could already tell. A human and an alien? With a friend who may or may not have burned to death? Added to the Patrol that would end up buzzing around? He rubbed the cold cloth with his thumb as he surveyed the two before him. This was going to be a lot of work. “I hope you two are worth it.” He whispered.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for reading.


	7. Kitty!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time since I've updated, and I can only blame Finals and the holidays. However, it was worth it! I only got one B and 6 A's! I'm very happy with my GPA right now.

Mitch hurt all over. He could feel a cold cloth washing his face. It was nice, and he didn’t want it to stop. Why was he so warm? He didn’t want to clear his throat, it seemed like that would hurt. Mitch tried swallowing instead and ended up coughing, which probably hurt worse than clearing his throat would have. “You’re okay.” A nice voice soothed him, a hand brushed his hair back and the cold cloth rested for a moment. “It’s Scott. From the parlour. Do you want to open your eyes? You’re safe. Nothing’s going to happen to you if you don’t.” That’s good because Mitch really didn’t want to. He swallowed before opening his mouth and asking, “Where’s Avriel? K.O.?”

The nice hands left his face. “Avriel is asleep in the couch next to you. He’s wiped. I don’t think he’s hurt. How are you feeling? I could hear…” Scott’s voice trailed off.

Mitch was too curious to leave his eyes shut any longer. He dared a peek with his brown eyes. No visor. No visor. No visor. He sat up quickly and groaned, first at his ribs, then at his throat. He slapped a hand up to his face. How did he not notice his visor was gone? And his hood? He looked at his hand briefly. Oh, for pity’s sake. “Where are my gloves?” His voice was croaky.

Scott looked abashed. He rubbed a hand on his neck and pointed to the glass counter. “I took off your jacket and gloves. Your visor is really smoked up, so I cleaned it out. It’s drying in the back room.” Now that Mitch used his nose, he could smell the overwhelming smoke that saturated his skin and clothes. “Do you want a pillow or something?”

He looked up at Scott and leaned back into the couch. It was pretty comfy, but Scott looked like he wanted something to do, so he said yes anyway.

Scott took large strides to the back room and came back with a soft pillow. “Will this work?” He arrived in front of Mitch before Mitch could blink and gently lifted up the boy’s shoulders. “You were out for, like, an hour. Avriel hasn’t even woken up yet. I gave him a blanket and stuff, I think he’ll be asleep for a while yet.”

Mitch followed Scott’s nod to the other couch where Avi was sleeping. He was right. When Avi fell asleep, it wasn’t fun waking him up. Mitch’d always made K.O. do it… Wait. He turned his head back, “Where’s K.O.?” He was numb to the ship burning, but he thought if K.O. really had died in that horrible inferno, that numbness would become a gaping wound. One that gushed blood and couldn’t ever be patched up or healed.

Scott didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t seen anyone leave the ship lot, not after Avriel and the boy had gotten there. He hadn’t been monitoring it or anything. There was a chance that his friend had made it out alive, but it wasn’t likely. He considered the boy in front of him before answering. Scott called him a boy in his mind because he looked too young to be anything but. He was small against the pillows, and his hair was almost fluffy where it wasn’t flattened by the couch. If Scott had to guess, he’d say that he was no more than 18. That was even a stretch. Was he able to handle this situation without breaking down? Probably not. Then there was the question as to whether or not it was okay to withhold information that he was legitimately interested in? K.O. was obviously someone important to both the captain and him. If they knew that he was dead, they might make a rash decision that could lead to bad results. The artist thought for another second before choosing to trust the kid. Avriel had handled it …. okay? Maybe. Scott wasn’t sure. But he did know that the older man would be able to take care of his partner if need be. “I don’t know where your friend is. I got to the lot after you did. No one was running away or anything when I was on my way there either.”

Mitch’s breath left him, leaving his body deflated and loose. He held his lungs shut, not enjoying the sting that came whenever he inhaled. Eventually, he had to breathe. Everyone did, and sadly, Mitch was not an exception. He thought about what Scott said before he did though. Maybe K.O. had left before the fire started. That must have been it. K.O. wouldn’t die in such a way. Mitch had conversations with him about how they would die, and Gadget had decided he would die when his implant dictated. Eventually he’d get tired of fixing it, and let it wear down. Since it was part of his body, his nerves would seize up, and he likely wouldn’t be able to form coherent thoughts until his heart stopped. He had made Mitch promise if it ever happened on the ship he would put him down. He had a kit of lethal doses in his room for that purpose. He’d shown them to Mitch a year ago and explained what he would need to do. Avi didn’t know. If he had any idea, he would have sat them both down, yelled for an hour, and gotten rid of their back-up plans. Those safety measures would have been chucked off-ship without any questions. So, Avi never knew. He never would know. K.O. and Mitch had agreed that if things went bad, they’d help one another. Avi wouldn’t understand it.

Mitch knew that K.O. wasn’t dead though. He made it clear that he would die when it was his time. Today, in a fireball, it wasn’t K.O.’s time. 

He leaned back into the pillows and looked back up to Scott. “He’s fine. Is the fire still going?”

The abrupt change in topic surprised Scott. There was no way anyone could be so naive as to think that everything was fine. “It probably is.” He answered slowly. “There have been plenty of Patrollers running over there still. That’s why the shop is shut down so tight. All of them are, actually. No one wants the Patrol getting in their business. So, what’s your name?” Scott was curious, and it was getting a little weird that he didn’t already know it.

“Oh, my name is Mitch. Avi is my captain. K.O. was our other partner.” Mitch tried to subtly clear his throat. It wasn’t going well. No, really, it seemed almost like he was keening silently. He really hoped Scott didn’t notice the noise he was making. It wasn’t a whine, but it was still a little squeaky. His voice tended to go higher, especially when he was uncomfortable. This was uncomfortable, and now he was thinking too much. He didn’t want to look, or in this case sound, stupid in front of Scott. Mitch was a generally proud person. He liked to show off who he was, which was problematic considering who he was, and he was always a little nervous that other people wouldn’t understand who he was. That they would only see a part of him, and that it wouldn’t the pretty part. Mitch wanted Scott to see the pretty part. Not the ‘I’m trying to clear my throat without letting you know because it’s embarrassing’ part.

Scott was trying not to worry about the face Mitch was making, when a scurrying sound from the backroom caught his attention. Mitch followed the taller man’s gaze to the open doorway, but didn’t see anything. He almost opened his mouth to ask what was going on, when a small gray thing landed on him. Mitch squeaked and couched, quickly clearing his throat before looking down at the tiny animal on his stomach.

The kitten was gray and hairless. It twitched its nose at him and seemed to consider giving him approval as it sat down. The young alien had no idea a kitten could make someone feel so inferior, but apparently it could. Their eyes locked in a gaze of surprise and indifference. Mitch cleared his throat again before asking, “So, you have a cat?” He didn’t look away from the little creature. He loved cats. He had a feeling he would love this one too.

Scott was trying not to laugh at the picture in front of him. “Yeah. She’s pretty new to me. I think she likes you just fine, though. Normally she’s jumping all over the place. Wyatt never stands still.”

Mitch smiled at the kitten, Wyatt. She simply blinked back at him and laid her head down on his chest. He was slow in bringing his finger up to touch the feline. He was glad he did, she felt so soft. The kitten snuggled down into his shirt. Her skin shivered against his blue touch. He rubbed his hand on her back and Wyatt purred contentedly. Yes, Mitch liked this kitten. He hoped the smoke smell wasn’t bugging her too much.

Scott was loving it. “If you want to try and feed her you can.” Mitch nodded quickly. “I got this food from a can, but she likes to lick it off of my fingers. I try to imagine that she’s not thinking about eating me alive.” He walked over to the back room again, and returned with a can of, presumably, kitten food. Scott always kept a stockpile of it in the back ever since he found Wyatt. He peeled of the top with a tab, and handed Mitch a washcloth for his fingers.

The boy carefully washed his fingers, making sure there were no traces of dirt or anything on them. Thanks to his gloves, his hands were normally pretty clean. It was strange not having them on in front of someone other than Avi or K.O.. He took the small can from Scott and dipped his forefinger in it, scooping up some gross, fishy smelling stuff. He wrinkled his nose a bit and held out his finger for Wyatt to inspect.

The kitten stretched her neck out and started snacking away. Mitch smiled. Her tongue was tiny and scratchy. She seemed to be enjoying the food. He giggled and said, “Wyatt’s a diva, isn’t she?”

“Oh, definitely. Everything has to be up to standard with her.” Scott sat down on the ottoman near the couches, and leaned back, looking over at the captain. Captain Avi was still asleep, his arm hung over the couch arms from where he had placed his hand on Mitch’s head. Scott had felt bad about moving him when he took Mitch’s visor and hood off. The artist rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He’d taken most of Avi’s outer clothes and ran them through a wash. Mitch’s jacket was leather though, so it would have to simply air out. “When your captain wakes up, what will you be planning on doing? Are you going to leave and try to find your friend, or will you lay low for a while?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to be a bit faster with my updates. I feel like I'll be writing a bit more now.


	8. Scott leaves to get water and Mitch and Avi have a Plan... Sort of?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was that I said about updating more frequently? Oops. The lesson is to never make promises.

 

“I suppose it’s up to him?” Mitch knew that Avi would want to look for K.O.. He considered him under his protection, and therefore his responsibility. There was no way Avi would chance leaving him behind.

“I guess. How long has he been your captain?”

Mitch thought back. “Six years. He found me on an outskirts planet when I was 11. I was a little blue freak that had no family and no income. Well. Legal income.” He grinned at Scott’s face. “Relax. It was just a pickpocket ring. There were about 10 of us, but I just happened to be the one that got caught. I wasn’t very good at the time.”

“Let me guess. Avi caught you?”

Mitch’s eyes sparkled. “Of course. His coat didn’t even have that much in it. He’d already finished buying everything, so there really wasn’t much worth stealing even if I had gotten away. But I didn’t. Avriel had me by the arm before I’d even gotten my hand fully in his pocket, and he dragged me off to an empty alley. I thought he was going to kill me at first, he never looked at my face, instead he was scoping out everyone else. Making sure no one followed us. When we got to the alley, he just turned around and grabbed my shoulders saying, ‘I know you’re an alien, and I know why you’re doing this. Do you want to stop?’ I didn’t take him seriously. Just pulled my hood further up and left him there, grumbling and cursing the entire way. A few days later he found me again and made the same offer. I left with him then.”

Scott tilted his head, absentmindedly stroking Wyatt’s tail. “What made you change your mind about going with him?”

“Circumstances.” Mitch chirped. “I found out that anything was better than where I was, so I took the better option. I’m glad I did.”

There was more to the story, but it wasn’t anything Scott needed to know.

Scott smiled, “Me too. “

Avi shifted in his sleep. Mitch sat up and Wyatt jumped onto the floor. “Avi?” The boy turned in his seat, wincing, to face the older man. He leaned his chest onto the arm of the couch and peered over at his sleeping captain. “Avi, can you wake up please?” His voice wavered a bit at the end. He cleared his throat and tried again, “Avriel, wake up.” He reached out a blue hand to touch the top of Avi’s head.

Avi didn’t want to wake up. If he woke up then he would have to deal with the galaxy, and while he didn’t remember what was wrong with it at this point in time, he did know that there was no way he was going to wake up and fix it. It probably wasn’t worth the effort. The galaxy was going about its dirty business without him just fine. 

“Avriel, wake up.”

Now if only he could believe that. He didn’t want to deal with the galaxy, but even more than that he didn’t want Mitch to. Mitch didn’t deserve it. He was too young to be alone. So, Avi opened his eyes.

 

* * *

 

The room wasn’t bright as Avi had feared. Actually, it was fairly dim. All of the windows were covered, and the major lights had been turned off. That’s right. He had pressed that button and everything shut down. He blinked a few times anyway, trying to wipe away the stinging in his eyes. He swallowed and pain in his throat was starting to register.  He exhaled heavily at the irritation. When he breathed in through his nose he smelled smoke. It was everywhere. He turned his head and his cheek hit the soft fabric of the couch. Mitch’s face was a few inches away, looking worried and relieved simultaneously. “Mitchie.”

Mitch sighed, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards. “Are you okay?”

His voice sounded a little scratchy. Avi noted it to himself. He smiled at Mitch before nodding against the couch and saying, “I’m perfectly fine. I smell like a bonfire, but otherwise I’m okay.”

Scott, who Avi had forgotten about in the course of waking up, stood up and offered to get some water for the both of them, and Avi gratefully accepted.

When the taller man was gone, he walked into a backroom of some sort, Avi sat up and whispered, “Why is everything still closed down? Where’s K.O.?”

Mitch folded his legs onto the couch and leaned on the arm while he answered, “The Patrol is outside. The fire is still going from what we know, and Scott says the Patrolmen will probably be out on the streets for a long while. He closed everything up and locked the doors. He’s trying to make sure they don’t get in and find out we’re here.” At Avi’s uncertain look, he continued, “Scott’s been really good so far. I think we should stay with him, at least for a while. I, uh.” He paused for a second, “I told him our names. Just our first names.”

Avi groaned before catching himself. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. Why had he let them into this situation? Now that they weren’t in immediate danger, he was rethinking his decisions in trusting Scott. They didn’t know enough about the artist. “Mitch, exactly how much does he know about us?”

“He guessed most of it before I woke up anyway.” Mitch was feeling defensive. “I woke up and he’d already taken off my visor and my coat and gloves and everything. He knew I was a Calinskee even before when we first met him. I think he works with aliens or something. He might be able to help us. He wants to at least. We can trust him, it isn’t as if he’s running out on the streets hollering about blue teenagers and pirates in his shop.”

Avi glared at Mitch. “First off, we’re not pirates. Second, of course he can’t do that, he’d get arrested for association. You never answered my question. How much does he know?”

Mitch huffed, “He knows we want to get out of here. He knows you’re a captain, obviously, and he also knows that K.O. is missing.”

Avi knew they should trust Scott. He knew too much for them not to trust him. Scott helped them when he didn’t need to, but now that he wasn’t panicking and hyperventilating, he had time to sit down and think. At least until Scott came back with the water. How long did it take anyway? “We’ll stay here until it’s safe enough for us to go outside. I want us gone by tomorrow. We’ve got enough credits to buy a ship. I know someone who owes me a favor, he’ll sell to us. Tonight we look for K.O.. Well, I will. Now that I think about it you probably shouldn’t be on the streets at all.” The man settled back into the couch and stared at the closed front door. “K.O.’s got to be out there. We’re not going to chance leaving him behind.”

Mitch agreed, but he didn’t enjoy being pushed out of any plans. Avi didn’t mean to push him out per say, but leaving him behind was a good way to make sure Mitch had no idea what was going on. Avi could get caught by Patrol, and while it wasn’t likely that he’d be arrested for any reason, if he found K.O. and they got arrested together, Mitch would probably never see them again. That wasn’t something that he wanted to chance. “If we go out at night-”   
“There’ll be even more of a chance that they will be searching for aliens.” Avi gave him a stern look. “It’s best if you stay here. Unless you don’t trust Scott?” His expression turned to one of concern.

Mitch rushed to fix what he said, “No, no, not that. I just. I don’t want something to happen and not know about it.” Avi’s eyes softened. “We’re almost never apart. Today we were. We left K.O. alone and didn’t think twice about it. We don’t know anything. We don’t even know for sure who did it. We’re out a ship, money, and K.O. might be dead.” Mitch’s voice was cracking. “You leave and I’ll never see you again.”

The older man, who really was only in his mid-twenties, ran a hand over his face, wrinkling his nose at the scent of smoke. “I will come back. I will always come back, Mitch.” He gestured with his arms, encompassing the dim shop around them. “This is the safest place we know of right now. Scott can’t turn us in without ramifications against himself. He’ll at the very least make sure no one finds out you’re hiding here. I want you to be safe, and taking you with me tonight would only put you in danger. So… Would you stay here and not worry? Please?”

The teenager sagged down in his cushions. If he stayed behind he’d be out of contact with Avi. If he went with he might increase the chances of them getting caught and arrested. Either way, there was a downside. “I’ll stay here.” He was quiet. “You better be back by morning. 7:00 tomorrow. If I wake up and you’re not here, you don’t even want to imagine what I’ll do to you.” Mitch tried a glare and smile. It wasn’t much.

“Okay, Mitchie.” Avriel’s voice was warm. “I’ll be back by morning. I’ll probably even be back before then. And hopefully, I’ll have some idea as to where K.O. is.”

Mitch nodded. Deciding to once again ignore his doubts, much like he did with K.O. before landing, and place his trust in Avi. Everything would work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, kudos, they all make me happy! I hope you guys are having a good year so far!
> 
> Let me know if you guys want to know what happened to Kevin yet or not. I don't know when to reveal it. Next chapter will either be a Kevin or a Scott chapter depending on the opinions of you people, but you'll get them both no matter what.


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